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One Beastly Beast: Two Aliens, Three Inventors, Four Fantastic Tales
Presents a collection of four fantasy tales in which a boy joins a strange navy in pursuit of video pirates, a neglected princess seeks adventure, an orphaned inventor seeks the perfect parents, and a genius girl faces a sea serpent.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2007
8 people are currently reading
329 people want to read
About the author
Garth Nix
236 books14.9k followersGarth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, to the sound of the Salvation Army band outside playing 'Hail the Conquering Hero Comes' or possibly 'Roll Out the Barrel'. Garth left Melbourne at an early age for Canberra (the federal capital) and stayed there till he was nineteen, when he left to drive around the UK in a beat-up Austin with a boot full of books and a Silver-Reed typewriter.
Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.
He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.
Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.
He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 24, 2022
6 out of 10
One Beastly Beast is a collection of four short stories. These stories are filled with fantasy and magic elements, and also feature some crazy creatures. I read this book on audio and the stories were hit or miss for me, but it was a pretty enjoyable experience. I think this book would be great for children just getting into reading bigger books.
In particular, I'd like to give a separate rating to each of the stories, since they each are different in the subject matter.
Blackbread The Pirate: Strong 5 out of 10
The Princess and the Beastly Beast: Strong 6 out of 10
Bill the Inventor: 4 out of 10
Serena The Sea Serpent: 7 out of 10
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Overall, this book was decently enjoyable. I liked a lot of the descriptions of the creatures that appear in these stories. "Blackbeard the Pirate" was alright but nothing too memorable or exciting. I really enjoyed "The Princess and The Beastly Beast". I felt that it was creative and well written, and provided some intense scenes within the short length. "Bill the Inventor" was insane and very experimental. I liked some of the elements, but it seemed too unsure of what direction it was going in at times, and it felt that it would drag on at times. "Serena the Sea Serpent" was a great closer to this book. I would love to see this short story become something bigger.
I'm conflicted on how I feel about this book, but I think this book was a decently entertaining experience, and this would definitely be very appealing to children who are getting into longer books. The stories are quite short, which would make it easy to read through a story in one sitting. Obviously, I'm not in the target demographic of this book, but I still was very entertained by some of these stories.
One Beastly Beast is a collection of four short stories. These stories are filled with fantasy and magic elements, and also feature some crazy creatures. I read this book on audio and the stories were hit or miss for me, but it was a pretty enjoyable experience. I think this book would be great for children just getting into reading bigger books.
In particular, I'd like to give a separate rating to each of the stories, since they each are different in the subject matter.
Blackbread The Pirate: Strong 5 out of 10
The Princess and the Beastly Beast: Strong 6 out of 10
Bill the Inventor: 4 out of 10
Serena The Sea Serpent: 7 out of 10
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Overall, this book was decently enjoyable. I liked a lot of the descriptions of the creatures that appear in these stories. "Blackbeard the Pirate" was alright but nothing too memorable or exciting. I really enjoyed "The Princess and The Beastly Beast". I felt that it was creative and well written, and provided some intense scenes within the short length. "Bill the Inventor" was insane and very experimental. I liked some of the elements, but it seemed too unsure of what direction it was going in at times, and it felt that it would drag on at times. "Serena the Sea Serpent" was a great closer to this book. I would love to see this short story become something bigger.
I'm conflicted on how I feel about this book, but I think this book was a decently entertaining experience, and this would definitely be very appealing to children who are getting into longer books. The stories are quite short, which would make it easy to read through a story in one sitting. Obviously, I'm not in the target demographic of this book, but I still was very entertained by some of these stories.
January 20, 2020
It's kind of hard to rate this one, because I'm not really the target audience, so do I go with personal preference or an objective review?
This was another random used bookstore find: a signed edition I discovered as I was carefully browsing through the entire children's lit section. It's something that I think I would've really loved before age 10. As an adult who doesn't have nostalgia dampening my logic, it's a little hard not to roll my eyes at some of the silly and ridiculously convenient plot points, like wizards being weak to pockets full of magnetized water and a rat being the most fearsome pirate on the seas because he has a magical baguette that can be defeated by its magical attraction to a giant block of cheese.
Still, each story is very cute and fun and full of cleverly independent children in a quirky style that reminded me a bit of Roald Dahl's works. I think the sea serpent one was my favorite: it had the strongest heroine, the tightest plot, and a sea serpent who wasn't bad just because he was big and scary and a little bit ugly. (I was disappointed that the aliens in the Orphan Inventor Bill story were evil; I was hoping for something about how appearances are deceiving etc and just because you look and smell unusual, that doesn't mean you can't be good and loving parents.)
It's also pretty impressive how different Nix's style is here. I'm used to his intricately epic stories. He heavily pares his worldbuilding back for these brief tales, using condensed chapters and simpler details that work better for a younger audience, but without making it feel too cutesy or childish. Nix is an incredibly creative and talented writer whose works I will always give at least one try.
This was another random used bookstore find: a signed edition I discovered as I was carefully browsing through the entire children's lit section. It's something that I think I would've really loved before age 10. As an adult who doesn't have nostalgia dampening my logic, it's a little hard not to roll my eyes at some of the silly and ridiculously convenient plot points, like wizards being weak to pockets full of magnetized water and a rat being the most fearsome pirate on the seas because he has a magical baguette that can be defeated by its magical attraction to a giant block of cheese.
Still, each story is very cute and fun and full of cleverly independent children in a quirky style that reminded me a bit of Roald Dahl's works. I think the sea serpent one was my favorite: it had the strongest heroine, the tightest plot, and a sea serpent who wasn't bad just because he was big and scary and a little bit ugly. (I was disappointed that the aliens in the Orphan Inventor Bill story were evil; I was hoping for something about how appearances are deceiving etc and just because you look and smell unusual, that doesn't mean you can't be good and loving parents.)
It's also pretty impressive how different Nix's style is here. I'm used to his intricately epic stories. He heavily pares his worldbuilding back for these brief tales, using condensed chapters and simpler details that work better for a younger audience, but without making it feel too cutesy or childish. Nix is an incredibly creative and talented writer whose works I will always give at least one try.
May 20, 2017
I'm definitely not the target audience for this, and I wasn't a fan of the first story, but I enjoyed the other three :)
August 14, 2017
Collection of stories. Not really my thing but well done.
September 4, 2017
great stories.these stories are great for people and kids to read.
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July 18, 2019I read it
April 18, 2020
Cute group of 4 short stories that would be fun for any kid. A great read aloud with small chapters. Nothing scary, but full of beasts for sure!
May 3, 2023
I really loved this books. The stories are short but corky and fun. I think it would be a great read aloud or perfect for young readers.
November 24, 2012
Reviewed by Mechele R. Dillard for TeensReadToo.com
Fantasy writer Garth Nix has created a short story collection for the younger set. Exploring the underworld of rat pirates; adoptions of Earthlings by odd, tentacled aliens; a princess literally searching the belly of the beast; and a brainiac solving the dilemmas of a kindhearted sea serpent, Nix introduces young readers to the possibilities of the imagination between the covers of a book.
ONE BEASTLY BEAST is an excellent choice for the reluctant reader. The full manuscript is around 120 pages, which can make a RR groan. However, each story is only about a quarter of the book, so readers can actually finish a single storyline very quickly. Additionally, illustrator Brian Biggs provides a number of illustrations to kick-start the imaginations of readers who might need a little extra motivation to continue to the end.
Possibly the strongest point regarding the construction of this book, however, is that even though it is a collection of four short stories, Nix still divides each story into chapters, thus giving young readers a taste of chapter books, as well as further dividing the reading challenge into smaller bites for the most reluctant of readers.
For those who are looking for something that will motivate a boy to read, this book will do just that, with pirates, rats, inventors, and aliens. Nix doesn't forget about his young female audience, however; they will love the adventure-seeking princess, penguinmaids, and the super-smart Serena, who saves the day with her bravery and willingness to dig deeper and understand the heart of a vegetarian sea serpent.
Overall, this is a book for every young reader; Nix has scored a fantasy winner with ONE BEASTLY BEAST (TWO ALIENS, THREE INVENTORS, FOUR FANTASTIC TALES).
Fantasy writer Garth Nix has created a short story collection for the younger set. Exploring the underworld of rat pirates; adoptions of Earthlings by odd, tentacled aliens; a princess literally searching the belly of the beast; and a brainiac solving the dilemmas of a kindhearted sea serpent, Nix introduces young readers to the possibilities of the imagination between the covers of a book.
ONE BEASTLY BEAST is an excellent choice for the reluctant reader. The full manuscript is around 120 pages, which can make a RR groan. However, each story is only about a quarter of the book, so readers can actually finish a single storyline very quickly. Additionally, illustrator Brian Biggs provides a number of illustrations to kick-start the imaginations of readers who might need a little extra motivation to continue to the end.
Possibly the strongest point regarding the construction of this book, however, is that even though it is a collection of four short stories, Nix still divides each story into chapters, thus giving young readers a taste of chapter books, as well as further dividing the reading challenge into smaller bites for the most reluctant of readers.
For those who are looking for something that will motivate a boy to read, this book will do just that, with pirates, rats, inventors, and aliens. Nix doesn't forget about his young female audience, however; they will love the adventure-seeking princess, penguinmaids, and the super-smart Serena, who saves the day with her bravery and willingness to dig deeper and understand the heart of a vegetarian sea serpent.
Overall, this is a book for every young reader; Nix has scored a fantasy winner with ONE BEASTLY BEAST (TWO ALIENS, THREE INVENTORS, FOUR FANTASTIC TALES).
June 25, 2011
Aww! So cute.
4 completely disconnected stories. They're fun and light and fast. It took me until mid-way through story three to figure out why this story telling format was familiar. These are bedtime stories!
So I started reading them to my children (ages 9, 7, and 5). I briefly described the 4 stories (talking pirate rats who steal some DVDS (clever, no? pirating DVDS? ... I thought it was clever), an inventor child who almost becomes adopted by aliens, a princess who has a run-in with a beastly beast, and a super-smart girl who has a run-in with a sea serpent), let them decide which story they wanted to hear, and then read it to them. It took about 30 - 45 minutes to read 1 story, and they loved it! I was afraid, part of the way through, that they were getting bored. Nope! They loved it and asked for more stories.
3 cheers, Garth Nix. More, please!
4 completely disconnected stories. They're fun and light and fast. It took me until mid-way through story three to figure out why this story telling format was familiar. These are bedtime stories!
So I started reading them to my children (ages 9, 7, and 5). I briefly described the 4 stories (talking pirate rats who steal some DVDS (clever, no? pirating DVDS? ... I thought it was clever), an inventor child who almost becomes adopted by aliens, a princess who has a run-in with a beastly beast, and a super-smart girl who has a run-in with a sea serpent), let them decide which story they wanted to hear, and then read it to them. It took about 30 - 45 minutes to read 1 story, and they loved it! I was afraid, part of the way through, that they were getting bored. Nope! They loved it and asked for more stories.
3 cheers, Garth Nix. More, please!
June 18, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. I've been a fan of Garth Nix since I was in middle school, and while this book is geared more for younger readers than for his usual crowd of teenagers and adults, I still loved it. I've always had a soft spot for those tales that don't take themselves too seriously, which immediately endeared these stories to me. Conclusion: excellent short stories which, at 17, I am still not too old for.
February 12, 2016
This book happened to be next to Lord Sunday on the shelf at my library, so I picked it up for fun. What a treat! There are four short stories in the book, and they are full of silliness. My favorite by far is the first, "Blackbread" (no, I didn't misspell that). I was reading this while in the waiting area of a car dealership, so I didn't laugh right out loud, but had I been home, I would have. Delightful!
April 28, 2008
short stories with funny little spot illustrations. i usually am not tempted to purchase short story collections for the library because they don’t get checked out, but with an author as big as this one… and the stories are pretty funny. i especially like the first story about rats who are pirates and steal dvd’s.
May 13, 2008
Big fun in small doses are provided in this collection of four short stories of high interest reading by Garth Nix who is well known as a writer of "deathly" tales for teens involving necromancers like Sabriel.
The first story involves pirate rats, a boy and a journey through a sewer to save the day.
The first story involves pirate rats, a boy and a journey through a sewer to save the day.
October 25, 2010
I'm trying to read one children's book per week, and this was the first. Maybe that was a mistake, because it will be a hard act to follow. Hilarious! Fun! Unexpected! My favorite story was the one about Princess Chlorinda, but I also loved the DVD-stealing pirates. Ha! Get it! Piracy! The illustrations also rocked.
November 22, 2015
I picked this book up because there is not a book by this author that I have disliked to this date. And I was again presented with a great book by Garth Nix! These fun short stories made me smile. They were most definitely for a much younger age group but if you are looking for a light read or a book to read to your small children, this is one I would recommend!
September 2, 2016
I thought this would be better. In general, I think the stories are too long for the kids who would appreciate the humor and too silly for those who can easily read this. That's not to say that there aren't good bits with funny ideas and one-liners. It just never came together for me and ends on a boring note with the know-it-all girl that just caps off everything as so-so.
April 12, 2013
Who knew Garth Nix can write funny middle grade stories?! Fun, simple, and creative, these fantasy short stories will play well with the grades 3-5 crowd. An excellent addition to any classroom library, especially since books of short stories for this age group can be hard to come by.
March 8, 2013
Four stories aimed at children.
Of the four stories the best were ‘Blackbread the Pirate’ and ‘The Princess and the Beastly Beast’. None of the stories were too taxing and some of the illustrations were very good.
Of the four stories the best were ‘Blackbread the Pirate’ and ‘The Princess and the Beastly Beast’. None of the stories were too taxing and some of the illustrations were very good.
November 26, 2015
Four short stories aimed at younger children and certainly much more lightweight and humorous than Nix's other work. Loved the illustrations, but the stories were just ok. I don't think Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell have much to worry about. Next up, Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz.
August 28, 2007
light, and amusing at times
September 24, 2007
Nothing deep here...light-hearted fantasy short stories.
January 23, 2008
Like the one about the smart girl who becomes a penguin the best.
April 18, 2008
Four short stories that are funny and fantastical. Although not mentioned in the title, there's a pirate story as well.
May 27, 2008
A cute, funny collection of four stories for small children. Adults will find it amusing as well.
April 4, 2011
How can some of what Garth Nix writes be so awesome and some just be so shrug worthy?
June 21, 2011
Great for reluctant readers. Even though the story is not quite the same I think Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants readers would enjoy this as well.
March 27, 2012
cute. not life changing, but cute.
July 19, 2011
Not as quirky and random as I had hoped, but still relatively enjoyable, especially for a younger child.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews